The best itinerary for 4 days in the Brecon Beacons, Wales

The Brecon Beacons in South Wales are perfect for a long weekend. Beautiful scenery and fun activities are waiting for you to discover. Here’s the best itinerary for 4 days in the Brecon Beacons, Wales. 

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What time of year is best to visit the Brecon Beacons? 

My top tip for the best itinerary for 4 days in the Brecon Beacons in Wales is to visit in the summer. The Brecon Beacons can be beautiful at any time of the year, but I love visiting in the summer. The trees and hills are so green which I love. The the long warm days are ideal for enjoying all the outdoor activities that the Brecon Beacons has to offer. 

How to travel around the Brecon Beacons? 

I’d definitely recommend having a car to explore the Brecon Beacons. Public transport in the area is very limited, and some areas can’t be accessed by buses or trains. Having your own car gives you the freedom and flexibility to explore at your own pace and visit the more remote areas. Driving in the Brecon Beacons is beautiful, with stunning views from many of the roads. 

I’d recommend buying this walking guide to the Brecon Beacons (affiliate) before your trip. It’s got some great maps with the walks and gives a great overview of the area.

Day 1 – explore the castles near the Brecon Beacons 

Wales is famous for its many beautiful and fascinating historic castles. One of the best ways to start your trip to the Brecon Beacons is by visiting some of the castles in the area. 

Raglan Castle is one of my favourite castles near the Brecon Beacons. It’s just to the East of the National Park, so it’s a great location if you’re driving into Wales from England. Raglan Castle dates back to the Tudor times, and you can explore the ruins of the Great Hall, kitchens and wine cellars. As you walk around, you can really imagine the grand feasts that would have taken place here in the Tudor times. 

There are also several towers you can climb, which give you amazing views over the whole castle and surrounding countryside. 

The castle costs £6.90 for an adult, and you can expect to spend around 1-2 hours here. Check the website for opening times – just be aware that the castle closes between 1-2pm during the summer. 

Another great castle nearby is White Castle. This castle dates back to the Norman times, around the 13th century. The towers are well preserved, and it’s a beautiful place to walk around. White Castle is free to enter and the parking just outside is free as well. It’s often very quiet here so you can enjoy the peace and solitude. It’s a great place to relax at the end of your first day in the Brecon Beacons. 

Day 2 – Rowing boats and mountains 

For day 2 of the best itinerary for 4 days in the Brecon Beacons, Wales, it’s time to head deeper into the mountains in the National Park. Head over to Llangorse lake in the morning, where you can hire boats to take out on the lake. They’ve got options of rowing boats and pedaloes, and I chose a rowing boat. It was £18 for one hour. Check out the website for the latest opening times and prices. 

Rowing across the lake was so peaceful and serene. The views across the lake to the mountains on the other side were just beautiful. There are loads of ducks and swans on the lake, and other birds as well like coots and cormorants. Rowing was hard work at times, but I think I did ok most of the time! 

After your rowing boat trip, you can spend a bit longer around the lake. There are benches which are perfect to stop for a picnic as you watch the ducks and swans. There are toilets near the car park as well. 

After a picnic by the lakeside, I’d recommend driving on to your next destination. Pen y Fan is the most famous peak in the Brecon Beacons. If the weather is ok, it’s a beautiful walk to the top. 

Park at the car park at Pont ar Daf. The car park can get busy, but you should be able to find a space by the afternoon. The path up the mountain is well marked. You firstly cross over a pretty stream before the path begins to climb uphill. It can be steep at times, but it’s easily doable for anyone with a basic level of fitness. Just take plenty of breaks to catch your breath as you take photos and appreciate the view. 

Keep following the path uphill, enjoying the views as you go. You can see the top of Pen y Fan so you can see yourself getting closer to the top. 

Unfortunately, the clouds started to roll in when I was near the top. Then the rain started, and then the wind picked up. So that put an end to my hopes of seeing the view form the top! But I still kept climbing, and got to the top of the neighbouring mountain of Corn Du before reaching the cloudy summit of Pen y Fan. 

The rapidly changing weather I experienced is just a reminder to take walking in these mountains seriously. Walking boots and a waterproof coat are essential, even if it seems sunny and dry when you start the walk. The path is well marked so you can’t get lost easily, but still take care. 

Despite the clouds and heavy rain, I still loved walking up the mountains. The clouds just gave it an extra air of mystery. And the views of the clouds were still beautiful in their own way. It was a great walk in the Brecon Beacons. 

Day 3: Caves, farm animals and waterfalls

For the next stage of my guide to the best itinerary for 4 days in the Brecon Beacons, Wales, I’d recommend exploring some more of the amazing variety in this region. Start of your day with a visit to Dan yr Ogof, the famous National Showcases of Wales. It was £16.50 for an adult to visit, and felt worth the price. Check the website here to check prices and whether you need to book in advance. 

You start off in the biggest cave, called Dan Yr Ogof. It’s really impressive as you walk through and marvel at the amazing forces of nature that formed the intricate rock patterns in this cave. The next cave to visit is the Cathedral Cave. This cave is smaller than the first cave so it doesn’t take as much time to walk through. However, I thought it was actually more impressive than the first cave. It was a huge open cave, and the waterfall inside the cave at the end was just amazing. 

There are more attractions at the National Showcaves as well as the caves. In the area around the caves there are loads of model dinosaurs. You can walk around and read the helpful displays to learn more about the dinosaurs that used to walk the earth. There’s also a small museum about dinosaurs, and a model Iron Age village. To be honest, these attractions felt a bit random, but the children seemed to be enjoying the animatronic dinosaurs so I guess that was the main purpose. 

There’s also a farm and shire horse centre here, which is definitely worth a visit. I loved seeing all the animals here, and they’re all so friendly so you can get really close. The goats were amazing, including this massive goat! There were also donkeys, pigs, sheep and of course the shire horses. The whole area was a great way to spend a couple of hours, especially if the weather isn’t good enough to be high in the mountains. 

After visiting the National Showcaves, I decided to head over to the nearby waterfalls. The Four Waterfalls walk is one of the most famous in the Brecon Beacons. You can park in the main car park for the walk, or there’s also an alternative car park a bit closer to the falls. It’s on Google Maps as ‘Small car park’ but there’s a huge field as the overflow car park so there’s plenty of space. From this car park, it’s only about a 20 minute walk to the first waterfall. 

At the first waterfall you can get down to the water’s edge. Then follow the main path to get to this amazing viewpoint over the waterfall. 

There are a variety of paths you can take through the trees, with glimpses down to the river below. I didn’t complete the whole circuit of the walk, but still did plenty to be able to enjoy the scenery and the waterfalls below. It really is a beautiful walk, and I’d love to go back when I have more time to be able to see more waterfalls in the area. 

Day 4 – Lakes and mountains 

For your final day in the Brecon Beacons, it’s time to enjoy some more of the amazing scenery this national park has to offer. Start your day at Pontsticill Reservoir, just outside of the town of Merthyr Tydfil. The South West corner of the reservoir has the famous bridge and spillway. Although don’t be fooled by the photos you’ll find on the internet of the water pouring down the well. When I visited in the summer, the water was a long way from reaching the well! It was still cool to see, but nothing like it looked in the photos on the internet. 

The views across the reservoir are just beautiful. The best place to park for a walk around the lake is near the bridge between the two parts of the lake. There’s plenty of parking here, and also you get great views from the bridge across both lakes with the mountains in the background. You can walk down to the rocky beaches at the edge of the reservoir, which is a perfect spot for a picnic. 

After your picnic, carry on driving up the mountain road towards Talybont Reservoir. The views from the road are just breathtaking.

There are a couple of options of places to park along the road, so you can stop for a walk and take some photos of the views. I really enjoyed not having a clear plan for this part of the day, and just driving and walking wherever I felt like. 

End your final day in the Brecon Beacons at Talybont Reservoir. You can park at the northern end of the lake and just enjoy watching the sun sparkle on the blue water. The Brecon Beacons really is a beautiful area and I’d love to return and find some more amazing views and hikes. 

Hope you enjoyed the best itinerary for 4 days in the Brecon Beacons, Wales. Remember to get this great walking guide ready for your trip (affiliate). If you’d like to spend a bit more time in Wales, why not head over to the coast and enjoy the beautiful Cardigan Bay. Or for some more hiking in the mountains, check out the top 20 things to do in Scotland’s highlands and the Isle of Skye.